August 5-8 is Interpretation Week in provincial parks and natural areas
Tom
Osborne, the Minister of Environment and Conservation, today announced that the
department�s Parks and Natural Areas Division will be celebrating its annual
Interpretation Week in various parks and reserves throughout the province August
5 � 8. Interpretation Week is held
each season to celebrate a nature theme, such as unique flora, fauna or an
interesting event or phenomenon of nature. This
year�s theme is Wild About Wildflowers.
�Flowers
tell great stories,� said Minister Osborne. �When you begin to know about
the wide range of rare and common wildflowers of
Newfoundland
and
Labrador
you will discover a wonderful
world of beauty and the secrets of nature. Indeed,
everything in nature, including humans and wildlife, have interesting
relationships with flowers and plants.�
The
minister noted that
Newfoundland
has 40 species of beautiful
orchids that have been identified to date. Scientists,
wildflower enthusiasts and the public are still discovering and identifying new
plants in the province. Like bird
watching,
Newfoundland
and
Labrador
is increasingly becoming a
wildflower enthusiast�s paradise.
Minister
Osborne said
Newfoundland
and
Labrador
has an interesting natural
history of plants and wildflowers, which is shaped by glaciation, our unique
coastal climate, terrain and soil. �We have several botanical ecological
reserves which are protected for their unique plants,� he added. �The Burnt
Cape Ecological reserve on the
Great
Northern
Peninsula
, for example, is protected for
its arctic alpine plants, of which over 30 species are known to be rare. Here,
interpreters give daily guided tours to visitors.�
Interpretation
Week activities this year will take place at Butter Pot, La Manche, Lockston
Path, Notre Dame, Barachois Pond, and J.T. Cheeseman provincial parks and at two
ecological reserves, Burnt Cape and Cape St. Mary�s.
The public can participate in a variety of environmental activities by
joining the park and reserve interpreters for an informative guided wildflower
hike, a campfire amphitheatre program, or for a nature craft program.
Minister
Osborne said interpretation programs play an important role in the
Newfoundland
and
Labrador
�s provincial parks and
natural areas system. �The programs create an awareness, excitement, education
and knowledge about our natural and cultural history. Through these programs we
hope to enrich the nature experience for both our residents and visitors.�
For
interpretation program schedules, please contact each interpreter at their
respective park/ reserve as listed below, or call Geoff Bailey at the Parks and
Natural Areas Division at
(709)
635-4531
.
Butter
Pot
Provincial
Park
Park Interpreter
Andrea Martin
(709)
685-1853
|
La
Manche
Provincial
Park
Park Interpreter
Tanya Herlidan
(709)
685-1823
|
Lockston
Path
Provincial
Park
Park Interpreter
Barbara Lynn Randell
(709)
464-3553
|
Cape
St. Mary's Ecological Reserve
Reserve Interpreters
Jason McGrath
Chris Mooney
Kyran Power
Vanessa English
(709)
277-1666
|
Notre
Dame
Provincial
Park
Park Interpreter
Lisa Pollett
(709)
535-2919
|
Barachois
Pond
Provincial
Park
Park Interpreter
Catherine Organ
(709)
649-0048
|
J.T.
Cheeseman
Provincial
Park
Park Interpreter
Lorna LaFosse
(709)
695-7222
|
Burnt
Cape
Ecological Reserve
Reserve Interpreters
Elizabeth Smith
Jackie Bessey
(709)
454-7795
|
Geoff
Bailey
Coordinator, Environmental Education & Promotions
(709)
635-4531 |
Media contact:
Sonia Glover, Communications
(709)
729-2575
,
685-6612
2005
08 04
10:05 a.m.
|